Trends throughout the wedding world seem to change every year. We see new, innovative designs, more creative themes emerge, and unique ways to set-the ceremonial stage blossom. Lately, we’ve also seen an uptick in more conscious brides. Whether that be on the finances, the environment, or other priorities in general, high-price luxury is getting budged for unique beauty with a responsible price tag.
In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, this idea of “responsibility” makes more sense than ever. People should celebrate. But what happens when finances are restrained or couples would rather save than splurge? Should we pause weddings all together? Or, do we look for ways to minimize the financial impact while still connecting? We advise the latter. And that can start with the gown. In fact, upcycling gently-loved designs is the most fashion-forward of choices.
Why Now?
The answer here is simple. Buying used wedding gowns is the trendy thing to do! But, it’s much deeper-seeded than that. Sifting through used gowns – or even designs that can be found among the sample sales – is the eco-friendly thing to do. It’s budget-conscious. And, it’s so much less stressful than ordering a gown and waiting an upwards of 9 months for your dress to make its way home!
Also, right now, it’s the safest and most accessible route to take. When brick and mortar stores close, online listings still have the ability to thrive and you still have the availability to snag the design or designer that you love.
- Eco-friendly: Buying used clothing means that you’re doing your part in keeping more bits of plastic and other materials out of the landfills. These acts help more items from going to waste and also serves to decrease pollution.
- Budget-conscious: Why spend thousands on a gown when you can literally spend a small fraction of that price on the same quality clothing? Keep your within your budgeting limits.
- Safe & responsible: The world is experiencing historic levels of illness. During this time, it’s our responsibility to stay home and keep our families and neighbors safe. This is why shopping from home makes even more sense when paired with the aforementioned details.
With a used wedding dress, brides can get all the brand blitz they desire without dropping the bills or dropping a ball on their responsibility during an unprecedented time in history. Love and plans of marriage don’t have to curve! But our original ideas behind how to go about prepping for a wedding may have to take just a slight deviation. And if that includes handing cash over to another bride to save a bit on your budget and keeping the money within the “wedding world” family – then why not? Help yourself, while helping another. Everyone wins.
Where Can I Go?
Preowned Wedding Dresses
Save up to 90% on the cost of a designer wedding gown and bridal accessories too by shopping at Preowned Wedding Dresses. Their platform has one of the largest online bridal marketplaces in the business and it’s easily searchable in reference to your location or desired features. And there are only 20,000 designs that you can peruse.
Visit PreOwned Wedding Dresses
OnceWed
This is another hot spot for adventuring online in search for your perfect gown. OnceWed gives brides an opportunity to save even more with their promotional coupon codes! Choose from used designer gowns, sample sale pieces, and new dresses too.
Visit OnceWed
Nearly Newlywed
Nearly Newlywed vets their listings in a secure fashion and quality checks each piece before it is sent to its buyers. Here too you may snag a designer deal for up to 90% of its original price. And for those that are a bit anxious of the process, know that there is a 5-day return policy just in case your expectations are quite met.
Visit Nearly Newlywed
eBay
Even eBay could have your perfect design featured in its listings. Within their marketplace for gowns, you’ll also find lightly-used (and sometimes new) accessories such as veils, shoes, sashes, jewelry, and more. There are hundreds of thousands of listings here, so use their filters to find exactly what you’re looking for.
Visit eBay
Local Consignment Stores
When our normal life resumes, don’t be afraid to support small businesses and check out your local consignment stores. You’d be surprised by the deals and the quality of the pieces you can find by pursuing the racks. This is also a great place to find a great silhouette and then tailor it to your body, your budget, and add features to create an entirely new style.
Facebook Marketplace & Varagesale
And finally, looking at your local Facebook Marketplace listings or even inside the Varagesale neighborhoods could be a great way to pass the time, grab inspiration and ideas, and, maybe, stumble upon the dress of your dreams. You can arrange a local pick-up (no contact even) or even determine shipment services between the seller and yourself within the apps.